AUGUST 17 . 2002 • Q-NOTES
Global AIDS is out-of-control
by Rex Wockner
Part 2 of 2
Wockne/s wrap-up report from the
2002 International AIDS Conference
held in Barcelona Spain.
HIV Transmission
The study on infection rates in young U.S.
gays was conducted by the Centers for
Disease Control at gay bars and other meeting
places in several cities. They interviewed 5719
men under age 30 then drew their blood. Five
hundred seventy-three of the men tested
positive and 440 of them didn't know they
were positive. Most, in fact, thought they were
negative and at low-risk for HIV infection.
Ninety-one percent of the blacks who were
positive didn't know it, 70 percent of the
Latinos and 60 percent of the whites.
A spokesman for the D.C.-based national
lobby/policy group AIDS Action said a big part
of the problem is barebacking — gay men
deliberately not using condoms during casual
sexual encounters.
"There is the whole notion that AIDS is
over in the United States, that it’s not a
problem any more," Director of Public Policy
Scott Brawicy said in an interview.
"Prevention messages are not working. We
do have gay men barebacking. ... We have a
whole generation of people under the age of
30 that don't remember the AIDS epidemic,
that think it's nothing more than, 'Hell, you
take a couple of pills and you'll be fine.’"
Brawley had no suggestions on how to
slow the barebacking trend.
"My honest response, as a gay man, is that
House of AfrIca
If you can't get to Africa.„then let Africa come to you.
1215 Thomas Avenue
off Central Avenue between
Pecan and The Plaza
Charlotte, NC
704*376*6160
Mon.
Hours:
Sat. 11 am -
8 pm
For more African Art:
Safari International
1504 Central Avenue
704*376*6116
The House of Africa/Pape's Art Gallery offers the
area's largest selection of African art. This one-of-
a-kind gallery was voted #3 on the Top 10 list of
best galleries by www.10Best.com.
House of Africa features:
lion and zebra skins, statues, exquisite art,
antique and comtemporary masks, clothing,
jewelry and herbal medicines
Jace Psychic Healer
Love? Money? Health?
Happiness? Success?
• Based on true facts, not
promises
• Begins where other readers
stop
• New solutions to your old
problems.
Free Readings
866-282-7615
2205 S. State Rd. 7
Hollywood, FL 33023
things arc going to have to get worse again
before they'll ever get better," he said.
"Resistant HIV, an explosion of HIV, something
that may go wrong with the medications."
Treatment
The new drug — an entry/fusion inhibitor
made by Roche and the U.S. biotech firm
Trimeris — is called T-20 or enfuvirtide. It has
succeeded in reducing HIV viral load to
undetectable levels in many people who had
become resistant to all currently available
drugs, which are protease inhibitors or
reverse-transcriptase inhibitors. T-20 will be
shockingly expensive ($10,000-$ 12,000 per
patient per year, according to reports) and
must be injected rather than swallowed.
Still, veteran AIDS researcher Robert Gallo,
who co-discovered HIV, predicted that
fusion/entry inhibitors like T-20 soon will
replace protease inhibitors because the latter
arc "toxic."
"The inhibitors of viral entry will be the
most irhportant new advances," Gallo said.
"The protease inhibitors will go down and
maybe go away. Important as they arc, they
are toxic.... My guess would be in two or three
years, the protease inhibitors will go away.
They will be taken over by viral entry inhibitors
and by more intelligent use of reverse-
transcriptase inhibitors."
Human trials will begin this year in the U.S.
and Italy on another possible new treatment
— therapeutic vaccines.
The vaccines, which are rubbed into the
skin, may allow HIV-positive people to
periodically go off their meds, or to take fewer
drugs, researchers said. The vaccines work in
monkeys, stimulating the white blood cells
that destroy HIV-fnfcctcd cells.
At the,conference's closing session. Bill
Clinton repeated his recipe for ending the AIDS
epidemic and former South African President
Nelson Mandela, honorary co-chair of the
International AIDS Trust, presented a lengthy
analysis of the crisis, agreeing with Clinton
almost point-by-point.
"AIDS is a war against humanity," Mandela
said. "This is a war which requires total
Demonstrators at the Barcelona 2002
AIDS Conference wave signs asking
for the $ 10 billion for People With
AIDs in disease-ravaged countries.
mobilization of entire populations. We must
find ways and means to make lifesaving
treatment available to all who need it
regardless of whether they can pay for it or
where they live or for any other reason why
treatment is denied."
SOMETIMES WE DO TOO!
Because we are a handicapped
league, you can be terrible in
bowling and still win awards!
The Queen City Rollers is
Charlotte’s Original Gay and
Lesbian Bowling League.
With over 70 members you
can get in on the fun! Sign
up now for the Fall Bowling
Season. Call Doug at
704-502-2500.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING:
Thursday, Sept. 12,2002 *7:30 P.M.
LOCATION: AMF CAROLINA MATTHEWS
First right after Highway 51
going out Independence
11210 Brigman Rd. Matthews, NC 28105
We give over
$4,000 in
CASH and PRIZES
to our Members!
OUCEM Cl TV